Search Results

The Brightwell is very grateful to be the nominated charity for Wain Homes Severn Valley Ltd for 2024. On Friday 19 July, the Wain team delivered their Annual Charity Golf Day in the beautiful surroundings of The Kendleshire Golf Club in Westerleigh, South Gloucestershire. On the day, after weeks of dull chilly weather, the sun came out and it was the hottest day of the year so far! The organisational skills of the entire Wain team along with Pat  Murphy, MD at The Kendleshire and his fantastic catering and bar staff ensured that the day was a huge success. The players arrived bright and early ready for the day ahead the first tee off was at 8.30am. There was 24 teams playing, in total 95 players and 6 ‘groundcrew’! The Wain team did a fantastic job ensuring that all the players were kept hydrated on the golf course and showed some excellent driving skills with their “drinks buggy”! They also kept all the events of the days running smoothly and ensured all their guests were well looked after. The teams who all donated to take part in  the tournament were made up of Wain Homes staff, Contractors and Suppliers. The  players returned to the Clubhouse and enjoyed a few drinks in the shade followed by a delicious BBQ and buffet. Carl Haley, MD of Wain Homes Severn Valley gave out a variety of awards and prizes, with the usual jokes and banter from those winners and  especially from those who thought that they should have won. It was a great atmosphere! The Brightwell Team was headed up by Victoria, Fundraising Manager, and she was supported throughout the day by CEO Doro, Corporate and Events fundraiser Surabhi and Fundraising Trustee Caz. Not only was this a major fundraising event, but it was really great to be able to introduce new contacts to the The Brightwell, explain about the work we do and  what conditions we support. As well as this being a truly enjoyable day, an opportunity to build awareness amongst potential corporate  supporters, we will also benefit from an incredible donation of £11,000! On behalf of all at The Brightwell, we would like to say a massive thank you to everyone from the Wain Homes Team for your incredible hard work and this outstanding donation!

What is Disability Pride Month? Disability Pride Month happens every July and has been celebrated in the UK since 2015. It’s an opportunity to celebrate people with disabilities, their identities, their culture, and their contributions to society. It also seeks to change the way people think about and define disability, to end the stigma of disability, and to promote the belief that disability is a natural part of human diversity in which people living with disabilities can celebrate and take pride. It's a chance for people with disabilities to come together and celebrate being themselves, no matter their differences. It's also a chance to raise awareness of the challenges they still face every day to be treated equally. The concept of Disability Pride was born out of the Disability Rights movement and based on intersectional identity politics and social justice. The core concept of Disability Pride is based on the idea of reworking the negative narratives and biases that frequently surround the concept of disability. Disability Pride is a response and counteraction against ableism and social stigma. The concept has roots in the same social theory that backs LGBTQ Pride and Black Pride. Disability Pride is a movement intended to celebrate the history of the Disability Rights movement and people with disabilities as positive contributors to society. The Disability Pride Flag The Disability Pride Flag was created by Ann Magill in 2019. The original flag featured a lightning bolt design and bright colours on a black background. The flag was redesigned in 2021 with muted colours and straight stripes in response to feedback from those with visually triggered disabilities to make the flag more accessible. The flag now comprises a number of different elements, each symbolising different aspects of the disability experience. The coloured stripes are placed diagonally across the flag to show how disabled people have to cut across barriers in society.   How is Disability Pride Month celebrated? The first Disability Pride Parade in the UK was held in Belfast in 2014 and Brighton was the first place in England to hold one in 2017. Events are now held locally around the country in July. It's a chance for people with disabilities to come together and celebrate being themselves, no matter their differences. It's also a chance to raise awareness of the challenges they still face every day to be treated equally. The Brightwell Community supports the ethos and ideology of everything celebrated during Disability Pride Month, not only in July but in every month throughout the entire year.

The Atrato Group are an investment and property firm and the landlords of our local shopping centre, The Willow Brook. As part of their commitment to the communities that they serve, Atrato set up the Atrato Foundation. Staff in the Atrato group can nominate deserving causes to receive grant funding through the Foundation. The Willow Brook Centre is the community heart of Bradley Stoke and the Brightwell is so lucky to have been supported by them for many years. Recently due to the dedication of the centres manager Simon Whiting, this partnership has continued to strengthen.  Simon along with his staff and family have fundraised for our charity through a number of events such as the London Landmarks Half Marathon, The Abseil and The Colour Run. A few months ago Simon kindly recommended us to The Atrato Foundation. Their board of trustees approved Simon's recommendation and kindly granted us an amazing £5,000! Simon, along with Marketing Manager Sophie and Supermarkets Director Ollie visited the centre last week to deliver the good news and meet Doro. Simon has gone above and beyond for our charity, we may have to recruit him! We want to say the biggest thankyou to Simon, The Willow Brook Centre and The Atrato Foundation for their extreme generosity and continuous support.

On Saturday 13 July, our neighbours Wheatfield Primary School held their 2024“Wheatfest” at the school. Lara and Surabhi, two members of the Brightwell’s Fundraising Team, went along to support this fantastic community event. Our Centre literally backs onto Wheatfield Primary School and our staff and members often comment how lovely it is to hear the children playing and chatting in the playground. The event was a great success and we were delighted to be part of the day, the whole school grounds were packed full of families having fun on what turned out to be a very sunny day. Our team were delighted to be able to meet up with our local Mayor Natalie Field who introduced them to our newly elected MP, Claire Hazelgrove . We are thrilled to be one of Mayor Field’s chosen charities for 2024 and we have extended an invitation to Claire Hazelgrove to come and visit us soon.

The MS Society have organized an Open Letter to go to the new Prime Minister. They are asking for help to reach 15,000 signatures. The aim is to ask the new Government to improve the lives of those living with MS throughout the UK. To find out more information, see a copy of the Open Letter and sign up,  please visit https://www.mssociety.org.uk/research/news/our-message-new-government-people-ms-deserve-better Please sign today!

Grab a chance to win one of these 5 fantastic prizes! Classic Tour Wine Tasting Experience for 2 with a Bottle of Wine from Woodchester Valley winery Day Spa Pass for 2 People from Aztec Hotel & Spa Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne Bottle in wooden box Luxury Tea & Biscuit Hamper Box of Chocolates from Hotel Chocolat Just £2 per ticket

As a charity, we depend on our Volunteers who work with us on a regular basis. However, at The Brightwell, we are very fortunate to also be supported by groups of volunteers that come to us from the corporate sector. Huge thanks to two teams from Lloyds Banking Group who volunteered, one group helped out in May and the other last week. We were so impressed with what they achieved, the first group, who helped with weeding and clearing paths also worked incredibly hard sanding down and revarnishing most of our outdoor furniture. They even supplied the varnish! The second team also did a brilliant job in the garden – clearing and digging out a big border ready for our new shed and helping us with rearranging space in our large storage container. They also did some weeding and sweeping for us and helped remove the old shed store! One of the team also dedicated some time to help us with some IT/admin tasks. They were all absolute stars and worked incredibly hard – they also enjoyed lunch from our cafe and were careful to stay hydrated while doing all the hard digging! Many thanks to all of them!

We are delighted to welcome two new members of staff to the Brightwell. Monique  Woodman joins us on our Reception team and replaces Shelley who left us last month for a new adventure in Wales. Monique will be working closely with Dawn and our Reception Volunteers. Surabhi Miah joins our fundraising team in a new role as Events, Corporate and Partnerships Officer. Surabhi joins us with a wealth of experience. We are very much looking forward to her joining Victoria, Lara and Clare in the fundraising team. Both ladies live locally and are familiar with the Bradley Stoke Community. Welcome to The Brightwell!

Thoughts by Caz Blake-Symes, Member and Trustee As anyone living with MS or any neurological condition will know, there is no “rule book” to tell you what will happen, if, when or how. For a start, not all of us will have every potential symptom, some may have lots of the symptoms mildly and others just one or two symptoms severely. To say that living with a chronic neurological condition like MS is unpredictable is an understatement, to say the least! Many of us have obvious symptoms which others can try to understand, for example, if you use a rollator, a wheelchair or walking frame, people can see the disability. If the person with MS has slurred speech, friends and family get used to it. However, others, for example shop assistants, waiters and taxi drivers may not try to understand, and I know some have even been accused of being drunk! All to often it is the so-called hidden symptoms that are the most difficult to deal with. At the top of this list of undesired symptoms to live with come bladder and bowel issues. Living with the dread of leaving the house without being padded up and dehydrated and still having an accident is thankfully a situation that most “normal” people don’t have to worry about, so the comprehension around these issues is less. If this is a concern, this can potentially rule your life. Incontinence is just one example, fatigue, anxiety, fear of the unknown and lack of independence are also common “non-visible” symptoms. Being part of the Brightwell Community can elevate many of these fears and in many cases the actual symptoms. Let’s look first at the practical and physical aspects. The whole building is fully accessible, with three accessible w.c. facilities. Each loo area is large and well-equipped, including hoists, and one has a full shower area.  How many times have you gone to a so-called accessible loo to find you can’t get in, especially in a larger electric wheelchair! I recently went to a local 4-star hotel/restaurant, having been told that it was fully accessible. When I got there, the accessible entrance was through a closed fire door and the accessible bathroom was being used as a storage room! The staff had to move two metal beer kegs for me to get to the loo! Needless to say, after a strongly worded complaint, it has now been sorted. I’m sure others have similar stories to tell! Once safely in the Centre, the therapies on offer can help with both physical and mental health needs. Over and above the key therapies of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy and Neurophysiotherapy, there are also a number of specialist therapies and clinics including, counselling, massage, reflexology, foot care, acupuncture, Citizen’s Advice and Bladder & Bowel support. The greatest asset The Brightwell has; is its people. On a personal level, I feel completely comfortable talking to any of the staff, volunteers, and other Centre Members. As we are all in the same boat, there is a level of understanding and compassion found across the Brightwell Community, that is rarely found elsewhere. I know from my point of view; I don’t want friends and family to feel sorry for me, nor treat me like I’m ill. At the Centre, I can be completely open and honest about living with my MS and the resulting issues. Here is a great example of how I was recently helped and supported by other Centre Members. After seeing my neurologist in January, she suggested the possibility of me having a suprapubic catheter (SPC). I have been fortunate to have had three previous bladder Botox procedures quite successfully. However, despite this treatment, this still meant I needed to plan my days well in advance, and I was too often dehydrated. I had a very frank supportive chat with two friends at the Centre, both have SPCs. These conversations would not have been possible in any other circumstances. The fact that we all share similar issues, and the Centre lends itself to that sort of conversation, was a major benefit to me. As it happens, I had further Botox and medication but when the time comes for an SPC, I will be confident, knowing the facts, possible issues and more importantly the benefits, after learning so much valuable information. This is much better than being given a leaflet! So, if you are feeling alone, concerned, anxious or have any worries whatsoever, the Brightwell Community is here for you. If you need to talk to a therapist, a fully qualified oxygen operator, someone who can signpost you for financial or legal support, there will be someone to assist. Likewise, if you, or your partner or carer would just like to have a good chat with some who understands and cares – the Brightwell is the place! As a bonus you can now get a great cuppa at the same time! See you at the Centre soon. Caz

On Sunday 9 June The Brightwell held its Colour Run for the second consecutive year at the Jubilee Green fields in Bradley Stoke. It was another great success with hundreds of families and supporters taking part! This Colour Run was one of the final events of  the Bradley Stoke Festival weekend. The race covered an approximate 3km course and the competitors were not only showered with colored powder paint during the run, but were each supplied with their own powder paint to throw, making the whole event a multicolored spectacle! So much hard work goes into organising such events and we would like to thank our fantastic fundraising team for ensuring that everything was so enjoyable. There was lots of music and entertainment thanks to Andy Heath on the PA system, providing sound and commentary from his vantage point on stage above the main field. The race started with a warm up by Anytime Fitness and then the two heats were officially started by Bradley Stoke’s newly appointed Mayor, Natalie Field. The success of these fundraising events is thanks to the support and dedication of so many people. We would like to thank our key sponsor for the day, Woodstock Homes, the supporters of the colour stations the Willow Brook Centre, West Country Water Park and Brightwell’s own team, comprising  of staff and volunteers. The cost of the eye protective sunglasses was paid for by Explore Learning. This year, each competitor was also awarded with a lovely shiny medal sponsored by Newgate Construction. The first aid cover provided by Bristol Ambulance Services was sponsored by Bristol and Weston Mortgages Online. Of course, our gratitude also goes to the Bradley Stoke Town Council for letting us run the event, and to their members of staff who helped out on the day. We have some fantastic photos and drone footage from the day, with many thanks to Guy St Ledger, Simon Green and Keith Taylor. As with everything we do here at The Brightwell, it’s always a Brightwell Community team effort.  Last Sunday’s event was a perfect example of this, as we were supported by Brightwell staff and their families, Brightwell volunteers, local running club volunteers (who did a brilliant job marshalling the course) as well as representatives from the Lion’s Rotary Club, who helped us organise the raffle. Thanks to everyone involved, especially Lara who was the principal event organiser, and who had her whole family helping out - thank you Carnell family members! Not only was this an amazing community event but an fantastic £4,400 was raised for The Brightwell! If you would like to keep in touch with everything we do here at The Brightwell, sign up to our blog, please visit www.thebrightwell.org.uk/blog  you can also follow us on social media via the links on our website www.thebrightwell.org.uk.

Hello, my name is Steve Cocks and just over 12 years ago the then Chairman Ken Edis of the Centre asked me if I could spare a few hours to help a Charity. That Charity was The West of England MS Therapy Centre. I had worked with Ken in a Bristol based software company specialising in corporate pensions and by coincidence our wives had both been diagnosed with MS. My early life was based in Cornwall and I was educated at Launceston College in the historical market town of Launceston. I left the college with a couple of A levels with no clear idea on the future and at the same time my parents decided to move to Plymouth to start a retail business. In Plymouth I started working at a Power Station on the administration side. I had also been offered a post within Barclays Bank, which I declined as there offer was £620 per year and the energy company offer was £60 a year more. Probably something to do with my Cornish heritage, as I am sure you all know that the definition of a Cornishman is a Scot with his pockets sewn up! In October of 1971 I met a young lady called Mary. We were engaged quite quickly and married in 1974, so yes it will be 50 years this August and we will be celebrating our Golden Wedding Anniversary. My career development required mobility and posts were taken in Bristol in 1976 and Guildford in 1981 and my skill set had moved to pension scheme administration. In 1985 I was head hunted to work for Edis International, back in Bristol,  who had just won a contract to computerise the administration of the Electricity Supply Pension Scheme. I was therefore a key resource in defining and testing the application for the then 29 administration centres in the UK. I joined the Board of Edis International in 1989 and spent the majority of the next 10 years in business development. When in Guildford Mary had taken a post in London and was commuting, which she quickly became tired of and therefore we decided to start a family and it wasn’t long before children arrived in the form of Matthew and Chloe. They are now both in their early forties and have blessed us with 4 grandchildren. The eldest of which has just completed her degree and will start teaching in Yate in September. Mary was unfortunately diagnosed with MS in the late nineties and started to use the MS Centre in Nailsea at the turn of the millennium and has been a member ever since. With this life changing diagnosis I also engineered a career change and moved to work with Prudential insurance in Reading on a project to clean up and computerise their pensions administration with a view to outsourcing that string of the business by 2003. A four year project with the chance to create a small final salary pension for me. On completing the outsource project I was then able to take voluntary severance with immediate pension. This enabled me to be at home from age 50 to look after Mary rather than bring carers into our home. I have always enjoyed playing and watching sport. In my youth playing football at a fairly high level, and when my knees said enough, I took up chasing a little white ball with a stick. Golf has therefore been a major interest and excuse for some fresh air for the last 30 years. I am a Trustee and focus on the financial and accounting aspects of supporting the Management Team and the other Board members.  It has been a pleasure to assist the management team and other volunteers at the Brightwell to see the Centre grow and develop into what it has now become. The early years at Bradley Stoke were financially very challenging and I like to think that I have made a positive contribution by volunteering, business mentoring and acumen to  enable the Charity to be the success it is today. As a carer for someone with MS, Mary and I are eternally grateful for the support and assistance that the Brightwell offers. It is therefore  a great pleasure to give something back. Kindest Regards Steve Cocks.

Photo from UKEM eligibility page We have become aware of two really great schemes that might be of benefit to members of our Brightwell Community. With the cost of energy  and the  need to take a greener and more efficient approach to heating and running our homes, any advice and help is always welcome. We would like to signpost a couple of sites that may be of interest and draw your attention to what options and support may be available. The details for these two  options are below. UK Energy Management Go to the website  ukem.co.uk and find out more about what they say….. Fully funded solutions to improve your homes energy efficiency Find out if you are eligible for 100% FREE energy efficiency upgrades, simply entering your postcode: ​At UKEM, we can’t stop the energy crisis, but we can help soften the blow for struggling families throughout the UK. How do I know I’m eligible for the government’s FREE energy scheme? Find out if you’re eligible RIGHT NOW by filling in our quick and simple application form. It only takes a minute to complete and could lead to you saving hundreds of pounds in heating bills throughout the year! ​The best part is that we do all the hard work for you! We’ll organise the grant on your behalf. Plus, we’ll even arrange the fitting at a time to suit you (all performed by certified and accredited installers for your peace of mind). Under the official Government backed ECO4 scheme, you can get FREE home energy improvements! You can get heating upgrades and insulation improvements, completely FREE! FREE Heating System Upgrades FREE Wall and Loft Insulation FREE Smart Controls FREE Solar Panels FREE Air Source Heat Pumps FREE Electric Storage Heaters FREE Gas Boilers FREE First Time Central Heating The second option is Lendology www.lendology.org.uk This is what they say…. Lending decisions for people, by people Home improvement loans for homeowners, funded by local councils. As a Social Enterprise lender, we understand your unique financial circumstances and we never put your interest rate up because of your credit history. We disrupt traditional lending with our decisions powered by partnerships and people, enriching homes and lives through affordable finance. The areas  covered include Home Improvement Energy Efficiency Renewable Energy Disability Adaptation